The invention relates to an apparatus and method for supporting a net web, for example for connecting a net web to a float line and a weight line as used in commercial fishing.
For many years, a light net web as used in commercial fishing, e.g. gill-netting, has been supported from a float line floating on the water surface, and has been maintained vertical by a weight line hanging from a lower edge of the net web. The net web has selvages defining spaced parallel edges of the net, which are connected to the float line and weight line as required using lengths of light twine or cord. Each length of cord is threaded through the selvage and connected by knots to the respective line at evenly spaced intervals along the length of the line. The float line also carries a plurality of floats which support the weight of the net, the floats being spaced evenly along the line and located in place by the cord knots connecting the web to the float line.
As stated above, the net web is connected to the float line and weight line by knotting with a light cord, and is skilled and time consuming and detracts from fishing time. Furthermore, modern fishing regulations relating to conservation of fish stocks restrict efficient use of time and materials for hanging net webs or for providing a variety of nets for different purposes. Consequently, if a quick way can be found for connecting a net web to a float line and weight line, productivity of fishermen would be increased.
Several attempts have been made to simplify the connecting of the net web to the float line and weight line which lines can be referred to as support lines. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,763,432, and 4,805,334, both issued to Barclay, disclose several means of releasably connecting a net web to support lines. Barclay discloses an embodiment which uses a series of releasable connecting means, each of which has one or a pair of cord loops extending therefrom. A relatively long cord loop is threaded through portions of the selvage of the net web to connect the web to the connecting means and is then passed through a shorter cord loop of an adjacent connecting means. Tests have shown that it can be very difficult to positively secure the connecting means of the Barclay patents to the support lines to prevent movement along the support lines. Furthermore should one of the cord loops be cut, uncontrolled unravelling of the net web from the support line might result. Furthermore, Barclay shows use of separate float retaining means, which are connectors secured to the line on opposite sides of each float to prevent movement of the float along the lines. Presumably, this is to relieve the connecting means of load from the floats which can occur as the net is hauled in onto the vessel. Separate connecting means to prevent movement of the floats incurs considerable extra cost and labour when hanging the net.
Other means of releasably connecting net webs to support lines are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,693,031 and 4,845,877, both issued to Koetje, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,679, issued to Ban. These patents similarly show connecting means for connecting a fish net web to support lines.